Information Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim today confirmed media reports that the government was considering imposing an Internet filter to block "undesirable" websites.

rais yatim pc 070809 03 However, he stressed that the filter was only to stop access to pornography which was freely available online at present.

He denied that the Internet filtering - ala China - was to stop bloggers from inflaming racial sentiments.

"The bloggers will face the normal laws of the land (if they breach the laws)," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today.

He said the government was still studying the filtering process, adding that it would only be implemented once every aspect of it was fully considered.

Malaysiakini yesterday reported on the government's plan to filter the Internet to "maintain racial harmony".

"It is to keep out pornographic materials and bloggers who inflame racial sentiments. We need to maintain racial harmony. We cannot have full-blown democracy like in the United States," an anonymous senior official with the National Security Council (NSC) was quoted as telling AFP in the report.

Rais took a swipe at countries deemed "liberals" which practise liberalism, saying that they are now facing rapid moral decline and sexual abuses.

However, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak later this afternoon denied that there was a government plan to filter the Internet.

He said that such censorship would be ineffective in a borderless world.

Merdeka bash: Opposition invited

Meanwhile Rais, who had earlier chaired a organising committee meeting for the Merdeka celebrations in Kuala Lumpur, said that members of the opposition have been invited to participate in the bash.

"We have reserved 350 places for political parties and follow the ratio of representation in parliament. Those refusing to participate will dent their party's image," he said.

He also said that the H1N1 pandemic will not be a deterrent to the celebrations as precautions and warnings will be taken seriously.

Due to the current economic crisis, Rais said they would be more prudent in spending as the allocated budget has decreased.

He announced that government linked companies have pledged a RM30 million donation for the celebrations.

To be more inclusive of East Malaysia, Rais said the prime minister will cry 'Merdeka, Malaysia' seven times on Aug 31 to commemorate Hari Malaysia on Sept 16.

During the press conference, Rais ticked off a journalist for not asking questions in Bahasa Malaysia. [See video].

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